Lest Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot.

Dare I need remind you all of the formalities?! Hah… I don't own it… okay?!

Grumps do I have to plead to get a review? Please? Well, anyway! I hope someone is still with us up to here! I'm too tied to rant right now. So, on with the show!

……

Chapter 3: In The Presence Of Godliness.

The land of endless night was the same as it always was: empty. Since the fall of the heartless, The Coliseum had fallen into disrepair. There were no heartless to vanquish and train against. Sora and his companions had sought other refuges to train or simply enjoy their newfound glory. Nonetheless, the land was not uninhabited.

Walking into the middle of the arena, he stood and looked around him at the crumbling stone masonry. Faint hues of green graced the far end of the open space informing him that he still lingered. Pausing for a moment longer, he reflected on his early days in this land. He had been given power beyond his wildest dreams but with it came the inevitable corruption. It had been minor at first. Simply a modification to his appearance that could be hidden by means to the cloak he always sported. The metal hand played no part in his history of The Coliseum. His arm could have been saved after his accident whilst trying to escape Hollow Bastion during the heartless raid. Broken bones can heal, given half the chance, but no. No. His face twisted in resentment at remembering how he had been told, 'Makes you look hard, kid. We actually want them to wet themselves in fear, not from laughing.' He had more power in this hand. That was true. But it left him unfeeling and unknowing of the pain he could inflict with it.

And then came the transformation. The penalty of failing his task. That had been hard to deal with, let alone live with for the remainder of eternity. Unfortunately for him, someone had 'forgotten' to add the clause that stated this. How he would love to repay him for this. For now, he had a few questions for an old mentor.

"Sephiroth?" he questioned the expanding darkness.

Silence was his only answer. A gentle breeze arose from the place where the green glow emanated. His cloak flapped gently about his holstered blade whilst blonde hair whipped in his eyes. Closing them against the developing sandstorm, he tested the atmosphere again.

"Sephiroth."

The only reply was the increasing intensity of the wind. This was his doing; he just refused to show himself. Nothing new there then. He wasn't shy, just stubborn. He would only do what he wished. That was how the blue, flame-haired god had converted him to his side, tempting him with the promise of power. Ansem had struggled to keep him sweet on his plans but the one who desired power listened to his heart and followed the path he made. Realising it may require his life to hang in the balance for him to appear he tempted fate.

"Yo, Seph!"

A blast of freezing air pummeled him face down on the ground. Passing as soon as it arose allowed the floored individual to pull the cloak from over his head. Reclaiming his footing, he turned to face the green mist before him. Moving like the Lifestream that he had ever seen once, tendrils of glowing green snaked the air before him. Slowly, they retreated to reveal the silver haired deity before him. He appeared less than impressed at such an informal address.

"You know I detest that."

A shiver traveled the length of his spine at the velvety tone of his voice. "Sephiroth," he greeted him.

"Cloud"

The blonde only nodded in reply. Sephiroth gently descended to the ground, landing with the utmost grace. His almost non-existent attire morphed into the leathers that he was noted for. Straightening his flapping trench coat, he addressed his only visitor in months.

"What do you want?"

"Who says I want anything?"

The god graced sinister when a smirk crept into his visage. "And on what other occasion did you delight me with your company without asking something of me?"

Cloud shuffled on the spot, slouching his shoulders in surrender. "Yeah, fine. You got me. I'm just after a few answers."

"I hope you are to ask me questions that I can answer. Walk with me," the celestial one instructed as he walked past a man several years his junior.

"Neat trick back there," Cloud complemented him on his earlier entrance.

Eyes of aquamarine slid to observe him from the side. "I merely have centered my powers to achieve my goals."

"Is that so?" Cloud mocked, knowing all too well that despite being a god he was unable to inflict physical pain in the slightest. All the same, his words were as sharp as his blade and struck just as deep.

"If only I had my corporal form…"

"He screwed us both over," Cloud sighed, walking along many deserted corridors whilst his deific company floated by his side. Eventually they reached their old quarters, the places they called home for many years after the loss of their home world. These small living spaces once teemed with shadows, the unwitting ears for the blue god of the underworld. He used them to wheedle his way into the young pair's trust and buy their services for his own benefit. Settling in their communal lounge, Cloud opted for a dusty mattress against the wall whilst Sephiroth perched in mid-air, tucking his legs beneath him.

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the god's antics, wondering just who got the raw end of the deal. "So, how's life in The Coliseum these days?"

Sephiroth supped at a conjured, exotic cocktail. "Splendid." After a glance of 'Sure,' from Cloud, he expanded further. "I am no longer at someone's beck and call. This land is quiet; rare is it that I must suffer a disturbance. Life is wonderful, given the circumstances." He quickly followed up his final comment with a question to divert unwanted attention. "And what answers do you desire?"

Cloud slumped back against the unfelt cold, his head making contact with the wall. Sighing before he spoke, he did not mince his words. "What do you see?"

The deity was caught off guard and displayed this in his confused expression. "See? Do you mean what I see before me?"

Cloud growled mildly in frustration, failing to see the goading on Sephiroth's face. "Me. What do you see when you look at me?"

Sephiroth had already seen this one coming form long before he had even set foot in The Coliseum. "Before me? Why, I see a golden haired youth who is unhappy with the way in which things have panned out."

"Come on Seph," he ignored the fiery glare of the god, "be honest. What do you see? And don't hold back,' he pointed a stern finger at him.

"Well," he flicked his hand and banished the glass into thin air, "if I possessed my corporeal eyes, I would see a hideous creature attempting to converse with a limited range of monosyllabic grunts. The very sight of which sets hearts racing from fear, not admiration, and causes revulsion if you get to close. It is then that they are subjected to your delightful, yet pungent odour that…"

"Yeah, alright," he snarled, his bestial form transcended boundaries. "I get the point."

"The truth can hurt," the silver haired one almost gloated. "I simply answered your question. It was posed so plain. I settled for a similar response. One that left no room for the imagination."

Cloud almost spat with disgust at the way things had worked out. Finding mutual respect in the most unusual of places and people, he slowly let his guard fall. "If only I could kill you."

Sephiroth laughed jovially, mildly disturbing the blonde before him "I unwittingly gave up my physical form some months ago. I finally achieved the power I desired, yet…" he threw his hands up in the air, "I am unable to utilise it. Losing my mortal form voided my ability to maintain power in that realm. Indeed, I have immortality yet death is a luxury I shall never taste."

"Forget to read the small print?" Cloud taunted, observing his levitating companion sideways.

"Mock me not," his voice did not hold malice, "for I sense you too were duped by the same manipulative deity. I did not scour the small print, for there was none. Do you consider me foolish enough to forget a minor detail such as that?"

Cloud smiled wistfully amidst a slight laugh at the trap that had been set for them both. "Accidents happen." Sephiroth sounded his agreement with a guttural groan. "That git accidentally forgot to mention the clauses. This," he indicated to his person, "is my penalty for failing to complete the task that Hades set for me. Trap, more like. He set me up. If I'd have squashed that punk, he'd have gotten his way and I would have been discarded like yesterday's newspaper, banned to the forgotten depths. And, as I did, I failed. A punk, sure, but a punk with a quest. A future. And a great big, three-headed dog in my way didn't help things. Hades paid me for my stunt. Really, he shouldn't have. You?"

Sephiroth once again displayed his relaxed nature by chortling heartily. "Like you, I failed in my task. I too, was to 'Squash that punk,' using your words. Unfortunately I assumed incorrectly that his youth would be his downfall. I did not expect for him to be so powerful at such a young age. Yet I should have recalled your first meeting with that bookworm, Squall. Never had I seen a five-year-old child with such enthusiasm. Especially when it came to throwing punches." Cloud grinned into his claw hand at the memory. "All the same, my given powers were a little below par. But at least I had one real chance to use my powers effectively before it was wrenched from my grasp. The moment I failed, the moment I slipped into this… limbo."

"You were always a tough nut to crack when we sparred before you got your powers." Sephiroth smiled as he also relived the early days at The Coliseum. The blonde had almost latched onto him, following him wherever he went. Admitingly, Cloud had been much younger than he was when Hollow Bastion fell, but he could not abide weakness. Taking him in under his wing, he strained to teach him all the skills that he knew, and many more. It satisfied him to some degree that his skills were still being used, if not by himself. Cloud roused him from reliving memories past with a comment that he also thought himself. "You were the only person I knew here."

"Ditto. Those heartless fiends served as a pathetic excuse for company. Do you hear from Ansem these days?"

Cloud bowed his head, leaving the silver haired god silently imploring an answer. "Ansem's dead Seph. That little punk did him in good and proper. It's a shame really, seeing as what a great guy he used to be…"

"He was only great in power," Sephiroth cut him short; not wishing to hear praises for the man that almost ruined him. "There was never a nice man behind that exterior. He was hell bent on power and he turned to the dark side for it. At least now the world is at peace. On the topic of exploiting darkness for your own good, did you ever find 'your light'?"

A stark glare was his answer. "Excuse me?"

"I over heard your little pep talk with the spiky haired punk. You spoke of searching for 'your light'. Enlighten me, what is 'your light'. Did you ever find it?"

"I did. Yes," he spoke into his knees. "I found that which I was searching for. But she does not shine in my direction. Instead, I feel she may never cast her glow toward me again. She only sees what all of them do."

"I see," Sephiroth bowed his head, knowing of whom he spoke simply from the look in his eyes. There was only one for which he held this gaze. "And before we move on," he cleared his throat once, "I apologise for my actions on that occasion at the Makou spring. I did not intend for things to become so drastic."

Knowing it was pointless to become angry at events he could not alter, Cloud remained civil whilst biting back his anger. "Damned right. You almost killed her. What on earth were you trying to do? Sacrifice her into that puddle of green ooze?"

"I did not know of my actions. Ansem showed a little of his true nature that day and experimented upon me. I was possessed to offer a beautiful maiden to the earth and harness the power it liberated. And Cloud," he braced himself for the unavoidable outburst that the blonde would offer, "she did die. If only for a moment, her heart ceased beating."

The look on Cloud's face went beyond words. "But… she's…" he stammered.

"I know. As skilled as I am at taking life, I am not ignorant in the ways of saving life. You were unfortunate enough to fall into the Lifestream in your attempt to save the one you cared for so deeply." Cloud blushed as he looked away. Sephiroth continued nonetheless. "By time you pulled yourself out, she had come round." He sighed heavily. "Do not remind me further of my mistakes." The blonde one cast him a confused look before he explained by extending his palms allowing him to witness the faint wisps of green that snaked between his fingers. "It was Hades' idea of a joke to remind me eternally of my more foolish antics. Everyday I am reminded of my errors. I do not wish for additional ones."

Cloud bowed his head in understanding. "Just one more thing," he blurted, raising his gaze to face his godly comrade, "how is it that Leon can see to the real me and no one else can?"

"Leon?' the god failed to avoid confusion at the mention of a name he had never encountered before.

Sighing, Cloud corrected himself. "Squall."

"Ah, bookworm boy," Sephiroth grinned at the memory of the young brunette that turned the library into his second home. "Leon? Interesting how he encompasses his surname into his new name. An accident perhaps?" the wayward god finally turned his attentions to answering the question whilst shrugging it off. "Perhaps a soul that has endured a life time of sorrow in one day is blessed with an unusual gift. The gift of true sight. I do not know. But I sense he will be of much use to you, as well as being a trusted friend. Give the bookworm my regards."

Watching the god lower his feet so that he stood, if it was six inches above the floor he sat on, Cloud rose to face him. "One last thing, I promise," he grinned as aquamarine rolled in their sockets. "Do you think there is a way to undo all of this?"

A ghostly hand made cold contact with Cloud's unplated shoulder. "I would hope that for your sake there is. Your clause was flawed, something that Hades corrected by time I failed. I am tied to the surface and cannot venture underground. You, however, are free to travel as you may. The only one who can undo this is the one who drafted the contract. You will have to see Hades himself about the contract. I bid thee farewell, and good luck." He nodded once in parting before flowing through the wall and out of sight.

"I'll call again," Cloud called at the wall. He was convinced he heard the faint laughter of a god in reply before his voice rang in his ears.

"Before you chance the realm of the dead, make sure that indeed his clause is in full effect. That way, you won't take a wasted journey to a land from which few return." Cloud looked about confused before intending to test the theory by returning to Traverse Town.

Misjudging his journey back to Traverse Town, he ended up some distance from his intended entry point. Interplanetary travel took practically a split second and took you to your intended destination, unless intergalactic static was involved. The first time he ever traveled in this manner he encountered such a storm and arrived at his destination dazed and confused. Luckily, that time he looked his former self. Nonetheless, the room he landed in appeared empty, like the intended stop of The Gizmo Shop. Landing awkwardly on his feet left him sprawled out on the bed in the room.

Despite missing The Gizmo Shop, he hadn't ended up too far out of the way. From the looks of things, he had landed in a hotel room. A red one at that. Fighting with his cloak, he fell to the floor and landed painfully on his back. Whilst regaining his bearings, Cloud realised that the room wasn't as empty as he first thought. Somebody was in the en-suite bathroom, showering.

Grasping handfuls of the blankets to aid him in rising to his feet, he became aware of the scent of the room's occupant. Pausing in a crouched position, he tried to place the delicate smell whilst the feeling returned in his appendages and his head ceased spinning. The smell of lilies snapped his brain into gear. The pink dress draped over the back of the chair by the en-suite door confirmed his suspicions. Frozen with panic, he dared not even breathe.

Peering over the top of the mattress, he debated whether to bolt or investigate. Opting for the latter, he crept to the open doorway that billowed waves of steam into the small hotel room. He swallowed hard whilst he pressed himself flush against the wall. He had to lean up the doorframe for support and to prevent him stumbling into the misty cupboard. He could see little in the room but with a little squinting he managed to locate the shower. As soon as he laid eyes on the shower cubicle, his eyes almost left his head. The clouded world slowly became decipherable, leaving her silhouette visible through the steamed glass. Even though the room was drenched with moisture, his mouth was bone dry. Should anyone had witnessed his expression, he would have looked like a goldfish stricken with confusion. He quite simply could not believe his eyes. Or his luck.

Aeris was not aware of his presence, a fact for which he was more than grateful. He could have coped with her screaming at finding him staring, but then it hit him. She would only see a monster, not a human being. Stepping backwards, he walked into the chair by the door. At the precise same time, the main door opened.

"Yuffie, is that you?" Aeris called upon hearing a disturbance whilst shutting off the showerhead.

"Yeah. I brought you a change of gear."

Cloud could not talk to his feet. They blatantly refused to move. Standing close to the balcony, he couldn't quite believe that the quick-footed ninja had not seen him. She may have been engrossed in something by the bedside table but usually, little could be hidden from her. Glancing to the other mirror by the balcony side of the bed he caught sight of her towel wrapped form. It may have covered much of her physique but it failed to detract from her splendor. This time Cloud's jaw dropped visibly.

When Yuffie made to wander to the bathroom, Cloud dived for the balcony, despite the closed doors. Barging through the glass, he fell over the balcony into the water below. Yuffie whipped about to catch sight of someone or something leaving and shrieked. Aeris ran to the door of the small room and also screamed at seeing the door gaping wide.

Seconds later, Leon burst in from the corridor, his blade in hand. This served only to send the pair into another bout of squealing before Yuffie bundled her scantily clad friend into the shower room and slammed the door shut. Quickly wafting a cool breeze over his heated cheeks, Leon scoured the room for signs of the intruder. The only sign that something else had been here were the mass of black feathers that gently floated to their resting-places in the room. He then spotted the open door and sped to the balcony wall. Peering over the edge to the alleyway below, he could hardly believe his eyes nor stifle his mirth. Cloud lay flat on his back in the water below, the grimace on his face informed him of his previous uncomfortable landing.

"Way to go!" he called jovially to the shocked blonde with a thumbs up.

Cloud simply glared up in reply, somewhat annoyed that there was another male in their presence. Shortly, he was the one laughing. Most probably Yuffie had chucked a soaking wet towel at the back of his head and knocked him off balance. Sitting beside him in the shallow water track, he did not look at all impressed. Cloud was still struggling for words when he stormed off towards the secret waterway. Deciding he didn't want to be seen again, he trotted after Leon, ducking into the secret passageway that ultimately lead to Leon's secret training ground.

"Weren't that something," Cloud slipped into what Leon cloud only describe as a look of fantasy.

"Get your mind from the gutter. Try living with her."

Cloud quickly snapped his head to glare at Leon. Jealousy quickly took hold of his emotions, stirring a deeper and much darker entity within. "You mean to say…?"

Leon quickly backtracked, "What? No. Never. I've never seen her like that before. Yuffie prances about in little all the time. Look at her daily outfit. Whoa!' he exclaimed, palms raised when Cloud advanced menacingly towards him. "Don't jump to conclusions."

"I wasn't," he snarled. "I…"

He quickly ceased talking when he heard small footsteps on stone, heading towards their position. From Leon's casual stance, he knew who approached. Desperately wanting to dive into the water and conceal his form from them he decided against it and waited with bated breath. Quite clearly annoyed, Leon huffed in distaste and inspected his fingernails, awaiting his disturber to materialise. He also wanted to repay Cloud for laughing at his misfortune. And Yuffie for that matter. No worries, for she approached.

"Leon?" she called from just out of view. "Look, I didn't mean for that to happen back there. I… oh," she gasped upon seeing Leon's company. "Beasty's back. Hi beasty. Hey, hang on. Leon, it was a burglar that was in Aeris's room right." When Leon simply shrugged, Yuffie wailed, "Eww? Oh gross! A voyeur. Aeris is gonna hate that. Leon?"

Leon bit his tongue and glared at Cloud. "What do you want?"

"Don't talk to it. You'll only encourage it," Yuffie reasoned. "You know it can't talk. Get rid of it before Aeris comes to apologise. She'll freak when she sees it's still here."

"Are you sure her high from last night has worn off?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Cloud watched the slightly frosty exchange between the pair as Leon replied, "Cloud apparently showed up and Aeris is still in Cloud-Cookoo land because of it."

"I thought you'd be happy that your best friend was back. Aren't you?" Leon maintained silence on his part, leaving Yuffie slightly crestfallen. "Do you like her?"

Leon frowned and scowled at Yuffie. "Aeris? Me? Like Aeris?" he scoffed in disbelief. "Heavens Yuffie. Look; just don't go there. Okay?" Cloud observed Leon with intent, studying his every move. Leon noticed him watching and lashed out. "What are you looking at?"

Yuffie watched the creature shrug its broad shoulders. This time it watched Leon intently, completely missing Aeris's arrival. Keeping out of the others' view, she observed the exchange unfold. Leon buried his head between his thumb and forefinger, a sight that Cloud recognised. Leon regretted his earlier outburst but was not about to apologise. Rarely he did. The blonde couldn't help but feel that there was much more from the past that he had missed. Wishing to press for answers, he chose not to for fear of ruining his chances of help. Yuffie watched Leon emerge from behind his hand when the creature growled, albeit somewhat sedately.

"Say what?" The creature growled once more and Leon scrutinised it somewhat bemused. "You what? Fine," he grumbled before turning to Yuffie. "He wants to know what you see. He wants you describe him."

Yuffie curled her top lip in disgust. "It's a he?" she dropped her gaze a few feet lower than its head. She snapped her head back when it snarled. She was about to give reply when Aeris marched to her side and answered for her.

"Hideous. It's hideous. It stands taller than you," she glanced to Leon. " A callous hide covers its entire body and spare a few parts, it's completely covered with thick, matted hair. Its eyes are red, blood red. And then there's that 'appendage',"

"And it smells like Cid's cooking," Yuffie giggled, ignoring Leon's frown at Aeris's final comment. "Why'd you ask?"

"Because he did."

Yuffie couldn't quite believe that it had spoke. "Why? What do you see?"

Whilst being observed by Yuffie, Leon studied the one before him. After a lengthy silence, he replied to the two that eagerly awaited an answer. "Me? I see a human being."

Yuffie's laughter ended as abruptly as it started. "No way. Leon, this is no time for jokes."

Cloud ignored her and addressed Leon. "Why don't you see what they do?" The brunette shrugged. Cloud decided to test a theory after staring at his reflection before Leon disturbed him.

"Why all the questioning. Got a mission in mind?" he added with mild sarcasm.

"I just want my life back," he roared at him.

A frown was his immediate reply from Leon. "But you have it."

"I do not," he threw his hands up in the air. "You do not see. They do," he indicated to Aeris and Yuffie, "but you do not."

Cloud glared and marched over to him, pulling him into deeper water. Moving to his side, he was too quick for him and pushed him so that he was bent double with the water before his eyes. Upon witnessing Cloud's reflection, he stalled. His fair complexion had been replaced with a rough, tan hide. His hunched shoulders towered above a demon-like head and tattered ears. Even the calming blue of his cerulean eyes was gone, only for crimson to emanate in their place. Protruding canines intensified his appearance of malice. Slowly it dawned on him that his cloak was gone but a thick coat of fur replaced it.

All of this failed to perturb him. Except for the final thing to catch his attention. A solitary black wing protruded from his left shoulder blade, trailing gracefully to the water. He could feel metal digits tightening about his spine and neck with the blonde's desperation to make him see. He tried to turn his head to the side, only for the claws to dig deeper and draw blood. Achieving his goal, he could see Cloud out of the corner of his eye. A blonde haired man with pale skin forced him down but his reflection spoke otherwise. Lost for words, he silently implored an answer.

"That I cannot give you," Cloud appeared to read his mind. Wincing, Leon gave up trying to escape his grasp.

A piercing shriek resonated in both their heads when Yuffie could be held back no longer by Aeris. Speeding towards the pair, she pounced on the beast that suffocated her friend. Crashing under the water with a splash, Leon was free to scrabble to the shore where Aeris was ready to tend his wounds. The pair watched as a duel ensued between Yuffie and Cloud, who appeared a monster to her. With flailing limbs, they vanished from view.

Under the water, Yuffie was offered a glimpse of something that left her screaming and inhaling a lung full of water. Cloud watched a gloved hand pierce the water and pull the young ninja to safety by the scruff of her neck. Another hand reached out for him but his right just wouldn't stretch far enough. His claw and wing pulled him deeper under water and further from safety. He gazed at Leon's gloved hand that strained to reach him, his face distinguishable once under the water. But he was too far gone. For a second time in his lifetime, he could only watch his friend struggle to save his life. Sinking deeper, he could feel himself being transported to another world. One that he intended to go to, but not this way. Not on a one way ticket.

……

Heh! Yay, Sephiroth! Now isn't he a hard one to portray! I wanted to keep away from the typical malicious portrayal! Heck… even evil can't be evil all the time! Everyone to their own huh? Formal is something I'm sure he would be! And proper!

Now… do I have to push you to that little button down yonder and left? Oh please? Make an eccentric little Brit happy and review! Heck, I don't care if I get flamed… it's a response! Please? Please? I'll add 'hundreds and thousands' (sprinkles) too! Cheers!